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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · pitcher · trunk · lash · squash · ruler · capital · snap

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. snap — to click
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com